They say the best things in life are free – or at the very least Emrys Westacott thinks so.
For those that have a selection, rejecting extravagance is taken into account highly virtuous. Many of history’s great thinkers have argued for the moral value of living frugally, but in our culture of excess, the temptation to overindulge could be difficult to beat.
William Isdale spoke to Emrys Westacott, professor of philosophy at Alfred University in New York, about how a return to easy living can provide greater happiness in our increasingly complex world – although there may be also a case to be made for the cultural value of extravagance.
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